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I have to comment on the article about not being able to vote for a “conservative” without being able to vote for a fundamentalist.

It’s their own damn fault. It’s the party they built, and it was built knowingly.

Long ago, the democrats were the party of the Klan. Politically, the segregationists congealed around the Dixiecrats for a while. Also, Christian Fundamentalists, who always shied away from politics, who ventured into politics usually became Democrats. The Democrats were the party of the rural and agricultural districts, which usually meant lower education and more religion. The pulpit also had to be brought in to defend segregation, because that was usually the first place that slavery, segregation, and anti-miscegination was defended. (Loo up the opening of “Loving vs. Virginia”, and “The Cornerstone Speech” from the first elected vice-president of the Confederacy.”) While the Dixiecrats were not an official group in the early 60’s, they were alive in spirit.

In 1964, George Wallace (Yes, this George Wallace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLLDn7MjbF0) was defeated by Lyndon Johnson. At the ’64 DNC, Johnson ended up running the remnants of the Dixiecrats, the segregationists and their fundamentalist enablers, out of the party. Johnson said that they “lost the South for a generation” because of that. That is when the Deep South switched D to R on the Electoral map, and why that was the only large block Johnson didn’t win in ’64.

And for those who say, “But the Democrats were the party of the Klaaaaan!”

*Then 1964 happened.

This also gave the Democrats the leverage to turn against the Republicans, point squarely at the John Birch Society (Fluoride causes Communism!), and say “Now, your turn.” A few years later, the Birchers were run out of the Republicans.

This is about when the Republicans were in favor of infrastructure and the EPA. “Centrism” actually worked, because the Gilded Age wealthy had not yet taken over the Republican party.

The next election, Wallace ran as an independent in the Republican ’68 RNC. He carried the Deep South, and was third to Nixon. Nixon looked at that and saw that as the future for his party. He set in motion Lee Atwater writing “The Southern Strategy”. (“Busing! Busing! Busing!”)

*Then 1968 happened.

Segregation really needs religion behind it, because it doesn’t due to say, “We like being mean to them because we enjoy being assholes.” It sounds much better to invoke God’s Will. The fundamentalists, who, again, largely stayed out of politics, saw their first foray into politics get beat into the ground with the Dixiecrats.

So, the old-school leaders of the growing Evangelical movement (Falwell, Robertson, the Bakers) were courted by the Neocon movement (originating with Leo Strauss, who needed the Noble Lies of religion and “the enemy”). 1972 was the birth of the “Values Voters Coalition” and “Family Values Coalition”. They rallied against abortion and communism, with the gays being a third occasional funding drive. Their function was to bring evangelicals into politics for reliable donations and reliable votes.

*Then 1972 happened.

The Evangelicals put Reagan into office, even though he was originally praised by Ayn Rand and a devotee of hers, then condemned by Ayn Rand because he would compromise and pander to the religious. (Her head would probably explode if she found out he had an astrologer on staff.) His election entrenched the fundamentalists into his party’s power process. He was so beholden to them he refused to address AIDS for years. The deficit exploded.

*Then 1980 happened.

Then you had Clinton, who was not our *real* president because he didn’t win 51% of the popular vote and killed someone and ran drugs and was a socialist. He was also told by Alan Greenspan that he had do abandon healthcare and education reform because the deficit would set the country on fire and companies would abandon the US. Clinton was also brought in to hearing after hearing for “even the appearance of impropriety”, and impeaches on very weak charges. However, the deficit got under control.

Then you had Bush. There was wiggy electio issues nearly every year. An activist Supreme court intervened in a State’s Rights issue to sop the recount. Anti-gay initiatives were put up for election every two years to whip up the fundies. With the fall of communism, gays replaced communism for the Values Voters fundraising drives. Two wars. Criticizing the president is treason. Deficits don’t matter. The surplus, which now some say was a left-wing urban legend, was actually a talking point of Bush’s RNC speech. God Bless USA! USA! USA!

Then we had Obama. He’s not really the president because he’s Kenyan and Muslin (homage to Teabonics) and Liberation Christian and socialist and rigged the election. The Deficit is going to destroy the country. The president should be impeached for socialism and communism. With dwindling homophobia, the Values voters have dredged up the old anti-communism letters and taped “Sharia Law!” over “communism”.

So, while both sides cast out their crazies to the fringe in the 60’s, ONE SIDE brought the back in for the votes and money. It was the Republicans that purposefully brought back the bigoted, the fundamentalist, and the crazies, because it *worked*.

They could appeal to the xenophobias and ignorance and Punishment Politics of the base, and make it align with the Cheap Labor Conservatism of the plutocrats who want to return to the Gilded Age. People like Aiken and Glen Beck are not an anomaly, they are the machine poking through the chassis.

This is in now way a “both sides” thing. *One side* carefully did this for long term gain.

Years ago near Tampa (near Lake Magdaline and Cherry Lake, if that still exists), there was a crazy redneck who was lacing his dog’s food with gunpowder to make them crazy and vicious. He didn’t want any gubbmint or “those” people on his land. After no one saw him for a while and the dog would not stop barking and there was a stench from his property, his remains were found among the dogs. They killed him while he was feeding them.

I must give a shout out for the Australian disclaimer at the end of the episode. As a fellow Australian I was chuckling very happily at the numerous stereotypes and nearly wet myself when it ended with the comment about the stereotypes.
I am really glad you chaps invite and include such little extra bits. The show is great in and of itself and having the little extras are good. I now want to hear the Redneck Messiah do a disclaimer.
With reference to the use of expletives I am also known to speak in a similar manner especially when discussing topics that raise my indignation. I find in those moments that I swear just as much as you chaps. Therefore I find the use of the language to be almost comforting as I hear something that is not alien to how I speak in similar circumstance.
One thing that came to mind listening to the show although not related to the subject under discussion was the idea of community. A big part of the community for me are shows like this that let me hear people talk about things I am interested in and who share similar positions. Yes it is singing to the choir sometimes but as I live in a little redneck wonderland full of homophobic, misogynist god botherers it is nice to hear a voice that is promoting views I don’t find abhorrent.
Thanks guys